Verified as of 20 October 2026. Should any information change, please notify me and I shall update it with the date of the revision.
A recurring question arises within the art market: "Is it in the catalogue raisonné?". Inclusion may facilitate the identification and circulation of a work. Absence may necessitate explanations, yet it does not, in itself, prove a work to be spurious. A catalogue raisonné gathers a defined corpus in a critical and documented manner and explicates its decisions regarding attribution, dating, and inclusion.
What it records
Each entry may comprise an identifier, titles, date, technique, support, dimensions, signatures, inscriptions, images, provenance, exhibitions, bibliography, location, conservation status, and the rationale for decisions. It may also document lost, destroyed, doubtful, or excluded works, provided the categories are defined.
Who compiles it
It may be compiled by a specialist, a team, a foundation, heirs, a museum, an archive, or the artist themselves. The methodology, the traceability of sources, independence, and the capacity to rectify errors are of paramount importance. Cataloguing a corpus and authenticating a specific piece are related, yet not equivalent, tasks. Furthermore, a catalogue is neither a judicial resolution nor an infallible guarantee.
Why it carries weight
Inclusion facilitates the study, loan, insurance, or sale of a work. Absence may be attributed to insufficient documentation, lack of knowledge, emergence after the closing date, or disagreement among specialists. Consequently, the authority of the catalogue must be supported by public rules and reasoned decisions.
How to start
- Define the scope. The entire production or a specific technique, period, or series.
- Assign permanent identifiers. These must not change with the title, owner, or location. The master work record serves as a starting archive and offers a downloadable ODS workbook.
- Separate public and restricted information. Owners, addresses, prices, invoices, and insurance require specific handling.
- Distinguish between facts, testimonies, and hypotheses. Record the source and the degree of certainty.
- Preserve versions. It must be known what changed, when, and on what grounds.
- Plan for custody, continuity, and backups. The project must survive the initial team.
A policy for receiving works
Once the catalogue becomes known, proposals from collectors, heirs, and galleries will begin to arrive. A written policy established before receiving them protects both the project and the party submitting the work. It must explain:
- What is submitted. Photographs, dimensions, provenance, condition, bibliography, and, where applicable, physical examination or technical analysis.
- Who conducts the study. The composition of the team or committee and the manner in which decisions are adopted.
- How conflicts are managed. Anyone with a financial interest in the work or its sale must declare it and recuse themselves where appropriate.
- What categories exist. Included, attributed, studio work, doubtful, excluded, or others, with a stable definition for each.
- How the decision is communicated. Estimated timeframe, scope of the opinion, and degree of justification.
- How it is reviewed. What new documentation allows for the reopening of the study and who holds the authority to resolve it.
- What the cost is. If applicable, what it covers and the caveat that payment does not guarantee inclusion.
- What happens to data and images. Basis of use, confidentiality, conservation, return, and publication.
Before receiving a work, it is advisable to provide these conditions and obtain acceptance. The policy does not eliminate disagreements, but it allows for an understanding of the procedure and reduces confusion between documented research and an absolute guarantee of authenticity.
On the open conversation
This guide explains what a catalogue raisonné is and how it differs from authentication. The reading of its power of inclusion is my own interpretation. If you have worked on a catalogue raisonné or an artist's archive and notice an error or an omission, the guide remains open.